St. Romain v. STATE, THROUGH DWF

863 So. 2d 577, 2003 WL 22661414
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedNovember 12, 2003
Docket2003 CA 0291
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 863 So. 2d 577 (St. Romain v. STATE, THROUGH DWF) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
St. Romain v. STATE, THROUGH DWF, 863 So. 2d 577, 2003 WL 22661414 (La. Ct. App. 2003).

Opinion

863 So.2d 577 (2003)

Charlotte ST. ROMAIN
v.
STATE of Louisiana, THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES and Lyle Soniat.

No. 2003 CA 0291.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, First Circuit.

November 12, 2003.
Rehearing Denied December 11, 2003.

*581 Jill L. Craft, Baton Rouge, Counsel for Plaintiff/Second Appellant Charlotte St. Romain.

Stephanie B. LaBorde, Baton Rouge, Counsel for Defendants/First Appellants State of Louisiana, through the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and Lyle Soniat.

Before: WHIPPLE, KUHN, and MCDONALD, JJ.

KUHN, J.

Plaintiff-appellant, Charlotte St. Romain, appeals a judgment dismissing from her lawsuit her "state law claims for sexual discrimination" as well as her "sexual harassment claims"[1] against defendants, State of Louisiana, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (DWF) and Lyle Soniat.[2] We reverse and remand for further proceedings.

I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

St. Romain was hired by DWF as a Wildlife Educator Supervisor in April 1999. On May 12, 2000, she was released from her employment obligations.

On November 2, 2000, St. Romain filed this lawsuit naming DWF and her immediate supervisor, Soniat, as defendants, averring that she was wrongfully released from employment because she complained that Soniat created a sexually hostile working environment which DWF permitted to persist. In July 2002, defendants filed a motion for summary judgment seeking dismissal of, among other things,[3] St. Romain's "state law claims of sexual discrimination" and her "sexual harassment claims."

After a hearing, the trial court signed a judgment, which expressly stated St. Romain's "claims of sexual harassment are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the [Civil Service Commission (CSC) ]." In addition, summary judgment was granted to defendants, expressly dismissing St. Romain's "sexual harassment claims." The judgment signed by the trial court also provides that St. Romain's "state law claims of sexual discrimination are likewise subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the [CSC]" and, therefore, dismissed.[4] This appeal by St. Romain followed.

*582 II. SUBJECT MATTER JURISDICTION

Louisiana Constitution article V, § 16(A)(1), addressing the original jurisdiction of our state's district courts, provides in pertinent part, "Except as otherwise authorized by this constitution or except as ... provided by law ... a district court shall have original jurisdiction of all civil ... matters."[5] Louisiana Constitution article V, § 16(A) vests jurisdiction over all civil and criminal matters in the district courts of Louisiana except as otherwise authorized by the Constitution. A constitutionally-authorized exception to the district courts' jurisdiction is set forth in La. Const. art. X, § 12(A), which grants to the CSC in the civil service context "the exclusive power and authority to hear and decide all removal and disciplinary cases." While La. Const. art. X, § 12(A) expressly establishes that the CSC has exclusive original jurisdiction over all removal and disciplinary cases, it is silent on discrimination cases. See La. Dep't of Agriculture and Forestry v. Sumrall, 98-1587, p. 6 (La.3/2/99), 728 So.2d 1254, 1259.

Louisiana Constitution article X, § 8 states:

(A) Disciplinary Actions. No person who has gained permanent status in the classified state or city service shall be subjected to disciplinary action except for cause expressed in writing. A classified employee subjected to such disciplinary action shall have the right of appeal to the appropriate commission pursuant to Section 12 of this Part. The burden of proof on appeal, as to the facts, shall be on the appointing authority.
(B) Discrimination. No classified employee shall be discriminated against because of his political or religious beliefs, sex, or race. A classified employee so discriminated against shall have the right of appeal to the appropriate commission pursuant to Section 12 of this Part. The burden of proof on appeal, as to the facts, shall be on the employee.

Thus, in order to assess the CSC's quasi-judicial authority, La. Const. art. X, § 8(B) must be read together with § 12. Sumrall, 98-1587 at pp. 6-7, 728 So.2d at 1259.

*583 Such a reading shows that the constitution limits the jurisdiction of the CSC to two categories of claims: (1) discrimination claims provided for in § 8(B); and (2) removal or disciplinary claims provided for in §§ 12(A) & 8(A).

St. Romain challenges the trial court's conclusion that under La. Const. art. X, § 8(B), the CSC has the exclusive jurisdiction over her claims for damages for sexual harassment as well as her state claims of sexual discrimination. She urges that because she served under a probationary appointment, she falls outside the ambit of jurisdiction constitutionally allotted to the CSC. Therefore, St. Romain urges under La. Const. art. V, § 16(A), she properly filed all her claims for damages in district court.

At the outset, we note it is undisputed St. Romain served as a Wildlife Educator Supervisor under a probationary appointment. St. Romain was separated from employment when she failed to obtain permanent status after a twelve-month probationary period.[6]

Unless constitutionally infirmed, a civil service rule has the effect of law. See Bannister v. Dep't of Streets, 95-0404, p. 5 (La.1/16/96), 666 So.2d 641, 645. Thus, in addition to article X of the Louisiana Constitution, it is appropriate to look to the Civil Service Rules for an understanding of a probationary appointment.

"Probationary appointment" is defined in Civil Service Rule 1.26 as an "appointment of a person to serve a working test period in a position." Rule 1.25 explains that a "position" is "any office and any employment in the Classified Service." Permanent appointments and promotions in the classified service shall be made only after certification as ascertained by examination which, as far as practical, shall be competitive. La. Const. art. X, § 7. A probationary employee may be separated by the appointing authority at any time. Civil Service Rule 9.1(e). This is because a probationary employee has no property right in retaining his position. See Truax v. Dep't of Public Safety and Corrections, 93-1574, p. 5 (La.App. 1st Cir.6/27/94), 640 So.2d 1389, 1391. Thus, the mandatory determination of cause justifying the appointing authority's decision to undertake a disciplinary action against a "person who has gained permanent status in the classified state service" of La. Const. art. X, § 8A is not a protection afforded to a probationary employee. Id.

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Bluebook (online)
863 So. 2d 577, 2003 WL 22661414, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/st-romain-v-state-through-dwf-lactapp-2003.